2003 – Page 263

Education Minister, Vice President Milagros Ort?z Bosch along with a number of parents’ associations, is planning to take the teachers’ union ADP to court for recent strike actions. She accused them of undermining the progress that has been achieved in the education sector and of continuing to agitate instead of working to find a solution. …

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In a revelation that is causing further embarrassment to the prison authorities, it was announced yesterday that 240 prisoners had disappeared from La Victoria prison. It appears that rather than having escaped unnoticed, the prisoners could have been transferred to other jails without the judicial authorities being notified. This practice was criticized by Attorney General …

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The papers are reporting that President Hip?lito Mej?a has reiterated that although he did not intervene personally in last week’s PRSC primary election, there were a number of PPH activists involved. The PPH (Plan Presidencial Hip?lito) is the faction within the PRD that worked to bring Mejia to the presidency in 2000 and now is …

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It seems that internal party strife is common to all three main parties, to the extent that rivals are prepared to go to the most extreme measures. Four people – all of them PLD militants – are under arrest for the attempted murder of PLD deputy Manuel D?az. The four men burst into the PLD …

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List?n Diario’s lifestyle section, La Vida, reports on the cost of living in a condominium. The cost per family for maintenance and community costs can range from RD$300 a month in a middle class district like Gazcue or Bella Vista to a mammoth RD$25,000 in luxury condos and penthouses in exclusive areas of Santo Domingo …

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The Senate approved legislation that establishes the Statute of the Public Minister last night. An important facet of this legislation is that district attorneys and prosecutors will now be chosen by a council of prosecutors, who will submit each candidate for public evaluation ? a process similar to that used in selecting judges. Previously, political …

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President Hip?lito Mej?a issued Decree 335-03 yesterday, with the ruling for the application of the Electronic Commerce Law 126-02. The new law validates electronic signatures, and makes them as legally binding as ink-and-paper signatures. It also eliminates legal barriers that prevented the storing of documents and transmission of notices electronically.

Customers in the Dominican Republic may receive some relief from their high power bills, says Superintendent of Power Julio Cross. Results of a tariffs study conducted by outside consultants indicate that Dominicans are paying more than they should be and Cross is suggesting that bills be reduced by 8-17% this year out of fairness to …

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Representatives of the Dominican Federation of Merchants (FDC) and the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD) told the List?n Diario newspaper of their concerns over the effects the recent Central Bank savings certificates could have on the cost of money to the private sector. The Central Bank is offering RD$5 billion in certificates …

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Jos? Manuel L?pez Vald?s, president of the Association of Commercial Banks, told El Caribe that the savings certificates being sold by the Central Bank are unnecessary. ?We understand that at this time the liquidity is adequate for the operations of banks in our country and we do not feel it is opportune to restrict any …

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